The department of Cusco is located in the southeastern area of Peru and comprises sections of highland, midland and jungle environments. It covers an area of 84,140.89 Km2. IT is bordered on the north by the Department of Ucayali, on the east by Madre de Dios, on the southeast and south by Puno and Arequipa, on the west by Apurimac and Ayacucho and on the northeast by Junín. The Departmental Capital is the city of Cusco, ancient capital of the Inca Empire and the archaeological capital of America. It sits at an altitude of 3,360 meters above sea level and has a population of 360,000 inhabitants.
The city of Cusco was founded sometime between the XI and XII centuries by Manco Capac, an Incan chief who according to some myths emerged from Lake Titicaca and –according to others- from a cave some distance away from Cusco. With the establishment of the Incas in Cusco, it soon became the governmental center of the four administrative regions (Suyus) in which the Inca Empire was divide. This vast dominion extended over the present day territories of southern Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and northern Argentina and Chile. The Inca Empire constituted a well-organized and structured society; historical investigations have revealed their vast knowledge of architecture, hydraulic engineering, medicine and agriculture. Spanish Conquistadors occupied the city without resistence and on March 23rd of the year 1534, the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded –atop the preexisting Inca city- the Spanish city of Cusco, at that time named Santiago del Cusco. He thusly divided the totality of the urban real estate and personal property of the inhabitants among his followers and himself. Soon afterwards, a major rebellion broke out in which Cusco and the occupying Spaniard usurpers were subjected to an extended siege. The Spanish eventually triumphed and, with the exception of a pocket of surviving Inca rebels in Vilcabamba, all local resistance ceased. There ensued a period of 250 years during which took place a renaissance with interesting and far reaching consequences and results in art, architecture, literature and music (among others.) In the latter XVIII century, another series of major native-based rebellions against Spanish rule took place, the most famous being that one led by Jose Gabriel Condorcanqui Tupac Amaru II, direct lineal descendant of the last Incas which, after much bloodshed and cruelty, was eventually suppressed by the Spanish authorities. When final Independence from Spain was secured in 1824 –with the collaboration of the local born society of Spanish descent, who thus assured itself a predominant role and control in the new Republican government- Cusco enjoyed a momentary period of resurgence. This lasted briefly, and from the mid XIX century until the advent of the XX century, Cusco sank into a lethargic state accompanied by a profound cultural and economic depression. This was further aggravated by periodic endemic epidemics of yellow fever and typhoid, reducing the overall population to almost 10% of its former numbers (25,000 vs. 300,000 people) and the native rural Indian population to less than that. The arrival of the XX century brought significant changes. The Arequipa-Juliaca railroad finally reached Cusco, the rubber and wool industries gave the local economy a boost and the discovery in July of 1911 of the monumental Ruins of the lost city of Macchu Picchu by Yale Professor Hiram Bingham definitely projected Cusco back into a position of worldwide renown. At the internal level, the designation of Philadelphia-born Prof. Albert Giesecke as Dean of the University of Cusco in 1909 radically altered the medieval standards of local education and catapulted it to the forefront of educational modernism, the creation of a modern, native born professional elite, along with elegant museums and cultural institutions, etc.
Plaza de Armas. located in the heart of the city of Cusco and known in Inca times as Huacaypata (“the place of lament”). Tradition relates that it was designed by Cusco’s founder, Manco Capac, as the symbolic center of the empire. There, the rebel leader Tupac Amaru and his wife Micaela Bastidas were executed by the Spanish in 1781 before the eyes of their children. In present times, it is surrounded by tourist shops, restaurants and nightclubs.
Barrio de San Blas in the neighborhood of San Blas: located four blocks away from the Plaza de Armas, this is the most picturesque neighborhood in Cusco. There are various workshops of all the leading artisans of Cusco, such as Mendívil, Olave and Mérida. It has recently undergone restoration and is comprised of small plazas, winding streets and a very beautiful church.
Sacsayhuamán: located at 3600 meters of altitude and 3 km. from the center of town, this temple complex-turned-military fortress is strategically situated on a hill overlooking Cusco. The annual festivity of Inti Raymi is held there on July 24th of each year. It is conformed of three superimposed sets of zigzagging walls made of gigantic blocks of stone some of which are 9 meters high, 5 meters wide and weigh 350 tons. The construction involved 20,000 men and took about 50 years to accomplish.
Tambomachay: located 6 km. from Cusco and also known as the Baths of the Inca. Streams of water cascade through ducts and fountains. It is presumed that it was devoted to the cult of water.
Puca Pucara: located close by Tambo Machay. This is a military fortification with terraces, stairways, passageways and lookout towers. Along with Sacsayhuaman it came to form part of Cusco’s defense system. Its name signifies in Quechua “the Red Fortress,” due to the reddish color of the stonework.
Qenqo: located 4 kilometers northeast of Cusc. It is reputed to have been an Inca worship site dedicated to the cult of the mother earth. It is a buttress of limestone upon which have been carved and sculpted totemic and sacred animal figures, such as the puma. Also, there are passageways and niches carved inside the rock formation and a semi circular amphitheater.
MachuPicchu (Aguas Calientes): Located 110 km. from Cusco, this riverside town bears the name of the nearby world famous archaeological site of Machu Picchu. This village, as its name indicates, also possesses hot springs, with an average temperature of 42°C, the waters have medicinal properties and are recommended for treatment of rheumatic ailments. The only access route to Aguas Calientes is via one of the various train services between Cusco and Machu Picchu, trip involving about 4 hours of travel. Aguas Calientes possesses numerous hotels and restaurants. The ruins of Machu Picchu are accessible via bus. 
El The Intiwatana: located on an elevation composed of terraces and platforms that can be reached after climbing 78 steps comprising a finely carved stairway. The Intiwatana fulfilled a calender function by measuring time periods (solstices and equinoxes) through the interplay of light and shadow upon the altar. It was, in effect, a sun dial.
El Valle Sagrado -The Sacred Valley: This has become one of the main tourist centers in Peru. Along with possessing a great historical richness, the Urubamba River Region offer an infinity variety of tourist activities and possibilities: hikes, thermal springs, river rafting, kayaking, hangliding, horseback riding, mountaineering, etc
Pisaq: An important archaeological complex located 32 km. northwest of Cusco at an altitude of 2,950 meters above sea level. Several hundred meters below it lies the Spanish colonial town of the same name. The “Inca” Pisaq is one of the monumental remains of greatest beauty in the entire valley and must have been, in its day, a place of great importance. It is surrounded by spectacular scenery and the quality of its stonework is unequalled except for some of the finer constructions in Cusco and Machu Picchu. It is also a favorite visiting place for tourists due to its colonial Church and traditional Indian Sunday Market.
Ollantaytambo: Located at the opposite end of the valley, 80 kilometers from Cusco and lying at an altitude of 2,750 meters above sea level. This site is unique in that the archaeological remains and the contemporary town are interwoven. The archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo was a military, agricultural and religious administrative Inca center. It was also once a rival city of Cusco until defeated and conquered by the latter. Some of the constructions are megalithic in structure. The population continues to dwell within the large stone enclosures that their ancestors did. The thatched roofing has been replaced by clay tiles but al else remains very much the same. The streets maintain their original Inca denominations with the additional benefits of electricity and running water.
Chinchero: Located 30 km. north of Cusco, lying at an altitude of 3,762 meters above sea level, accessible via a paved roadway. This town is of Inca origin. The prominent view from it is that of the snow-capped peak of Chicón (5,750 meters above sea level) which lies on the opposite side of the Urubamba Canyon. The name is thought to originate from the Quechua word “Sinchi”, meaning “strong man”, or “warrior.” Chinchero possesses a rich cultural heritage. It preserves the original Inca urban layout and pattern of streets and plazas. It also has a beautiful colonial Church built upon the original foundations of an Inca Palace and boasts a very colorful Sunday market where the native inhabitants from the surrounding countryside gather bringing their handicrafts and produce for sale or barter.
Maras y Las Salineras de Maras - The Salt Mines and Moray: Located 37 km. north of Cusco, at an altitude of 3,600 meters lies the colonial town of Maras. It was once a place of considerable importance, as attested to by its elaborately carved doorways and lintels bearing noble escutcheons and arms. It was renowned for the fineness of its stone masons as well as for the salt mines lying a few kilometers below it, mined since pre-Inca times. A few kilometers beyond Maras lies the archaeological site of Moray, unique for its circular amphitheaters of terracing, thought to once have been an agricultural experimental site used by the Incas to develop improved strains of crops.
Andahuaylillas: Located 35 km. southeast of Cusco, at an altitude of 3,198 meters above sea level. A showpiece of a perfectly preserved colonial village with a grandly decorated XVII Church, surnamed the ”Sistine Chapel of the Andes”.
Pickillacta: Located 45 km. southeast of Cusco, at 3350 meters above sea level, it is the only catologued major pre-Inca archaeological site in the area. It was once an administrative center of the Wari civilization (700 A.D.). It is roughly rectangular and spreads over a 63-hectare surface of a broad hill slope. Surrounded by very high walls, it possesses many buildings, streets and great quantity of storehouses.
Raqchi: Continuing along the southeastern route from Cusco, on kilometer 125 of the Cusco-Puno highway lies the village of Raqchi, at an altitude of 3,500 meters above sea level. Evidence indicates that Raqchi was a town composed of multiple constructions intended for a multiplicity of uses: canchas (enclosures), wayranas (buildings with three walls), qolqas (storehouses), and various niches, water fountains and worship sites. It was probably an important stopping point on the road to the southern sector of the empire, known as Collasuyo. The remains of the great temple of Wiracocha are considered the main archaeological remain in the Raqchi complex.
Choquequirao: spectacular, distant, solitary and forgotten. Choquequirao lies at an altitude of 3,085 meters above sea level, atop a rock outcropping overlooking the Grand Canyon of the Apurimac River, within the Province of La Convención in the Department of Cusco. Three physical characteristics of the location and surrounding environment contributed to its becoming for over 40 years the last stronghold and bastion of Inca resistance, long after the Spanish had already taken full possession of Cusco and most of Peru, following the unsuccessful rebellion of 1536. Judging by its two storied residences, its many aqueducts, water conduits, fountains and admirable “flowering” terraces, Choquequirao was probably built during the reign of the Inca Pachacutec in the XV century and is comparable only to Machu Picchu. Choquequirao is divided into nine sectors and the stone structures cluster into small neighborhoods. Upon its main plaza is found the principal temple and the residences of the nobility. Researchers have concluded that Choquequirao represented a great religious, political and economic center, as well as a commercial link between jungle, highland and coast. The true greatness of Choquequirao is yet to be revealed, for only 30% of the 1,810 hectares that the complex encompasses, have so far been uncovered from the dense vegetation that has covered it for centuries. The archaeological and historical value of Choquequirao (from the Quechua “Chuki” –Gold, and Quirao – Cradle) is complemented by its magnificent natural setting with a biodiversity of its own, including relatively close contact and views of species like the Andean Condor and the seldom seen Spectacled Bear.
In a city as full of traditions as Cusco, the cuisine is a great part of the tourist atmosphere. Among the better known specialties: rocoto relleno (hot pepper stuffed with peanuts, green beans, a boiled egg and baked potatoes) and the puchero (a soup based on mutton shank and head, bacon and currants along with cabbage, beans and rice). Other dishes include Guinea pig, Cheese Pepián and the ubiquitous Adobo de Chancho. For drinking, there is nothing better than the local cerveza cuzqueña, Chicha de Jora and Sugar Cane Spirits (Aguardiente).
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